Perhaps something worth considering amid all the Mitt Romney angst, is the potential for this to be part of a more comprehensive Donald Trump/Steve Bannon strategy.

You would be hard pressed to find anyone amid CTH who would opine any measure of favorability toward Romney. Quite the contrary, no-one likes him, at all. Nor did anyone support his initial presidential bid in the primary of 2012.

However, that said, President-Elect Trump presenting Romney as a cabinet possibility -and stirring up the visual appearance of grass root opposition therein- may essentially be nothing more than putting the final nail in another GOPe legacy coffin.

Perhaps, just perhaps, with the new awakening people carry toward the UniParty, and more specifically toward the prior 2016 primary GOPe road map the UniParty constructed, there’s a new coalition who can see -in hindsight- the previous 2012 primary construct was a UniParty ruse intended to deliver the successful Romney outcome.

Ordinary (middle-class non-leftist) Americans were tricked by the GOPe road map in ’12, but were able to overcome the scheme in ’16.

Due entirely to Trump’s success all the UniParty masks are now fully dropped, and sunlight shines upon the previously deceptive crew.

If the presentation of Romney was actually to generate anticipated visible opposition (ie. #NeverRomney), the question becomes: who is the intended audience?

A reasonable supposition therein would immediately identify:

Representative Paul Ryan. Current Speaker of the House and prior Romney running mate.

The secondary intended audience witnessing millions of voices calling for a rebuke of Mitt Romney could very well be all those within the professional political class who previously hid behind the apron of conservative advocacy:

The current #NeverRomney construct could simply be team Trump/Bannon finishing off the final vestiges of the establishment GOP (the GOPe), by making the opposition to the most well known member openly visible.

Then again, such an approach would imply: ♦ they knew how people would react; ♦ a great deal of foresight; ♦ and an almost Machiavellian level of strategy.

I voted for Romney in 2012, and later regretted voting at all. Previously I had voted Libertarian my entire adult life, but Gary Johnson was the straw that broke the camel’s back and convinced me once and for all that the Libertarian Party are not real libertarians, they’re basically just democrats who want to legalize drugs. I still think Romney is a scumbag, and that folks like him and Evan McMuffin need to back off and accept the fact that they have a bad impact on voter demographics.

Yes….I agree…although I wonder if Ambassador to France is even a bit high of a position for him! I still want to hear HIM come out with some words of congratulations to Trump for his win…and it would be nice, tho I’m supposing “inconceivable” to hope for even a word or two of apology for his words and behavior during the campaign! If he can say NOTHING after his horrible words and Never Trump actions…he is truly despicable in my eyes!

My guess is that he will not appoint Romney as sos however I don’t think his reason for trotting Romney out for public consumption was that Trump/Bannon anticipated the #NeverRomney response or that he’s using him as a battering ram to destroy the GOPe.
I think it’s simpler…Trump just wants to expose Romney for the self-serving opportunist that he is, disavow the notion that Romneys stance against Trump was “principled opposition”. He showed that Romney was willing to toss his “principled” stance against Trump by the wayside as long as there was a chance to advance his own ambition. Romney beckoning the call of Trump proves that and it makes any stance against Trump now seem self-serving, and Romneys credibility is gone…

My guess is that he will not appoint Romney as sos however I don’t think his reason for trotting Romney out for public consumption was that Trump/Bannon anticipated the #NeverRomney response or that he’s using him as a battering ram to destroy the GOPe.
I think it’s simpler…Trump just wants to expose Romney for the self-serving opportunist that he is, disavow the notion that Romneys stance against Trump was “principled opposition”. He showed that Romney was willing to toss his “principled” stance against Trump by the wayside as long as there was a chance to advance his own ambition. Romney beckoning the call of Trump proves that and it makes any stance against Trump now seem self-serving, and Romneys credibility is gone…

Trump is navigating through a nest of snakes. We will all get bit many times before things are cleaned up. Any mistakes he makes can be remedied by, ‘You’re Fired!’ with the bonus of having signed the no lobbying for 5 years contract.

Thanks for your post. I was hoping someone would make my point and you did. Trump will fire anyone who goes against him. He might (I’m not sure about this) even WANT someone to go against him so he can make an example, so that everyone knows who the boss is. MAGA.

Romney left with the look that his tail was firmly stuffed between his butt cheeks after Trump meeting. We have to read into that what happened. I suggest that perhaps Trump divulged information as to why Romney is disqualified from SOS.

Romney left with deep thoughts on his mind and they did not look like happy tinkerings.

As for the optics, it was a great move sending Mittens chief globalist off into the world with that “You’re Fired” look fresh on his face.

I have a feeling that Hillwho is being portrayed as doing her dog walk, book shop and grocery rounds at the assist of media, because she’s been instructed by Trump in the same manner. Cause more mischief and your tail along with Bill’s is going to jail. In the meantime, I can’t stop others from investigating the Clinton Foundation and Benghazi but I’ll be busy making America Great, so best watch yourselves. I also think Trump knows about Romney’s own various mischiefs and Mitt had no choice but show up for a reprimand.

I was actually going to say his tail was so tightly planted between his butt cheeks, that if you saw him from the front, you might mistake him to be excited… But then tugging against that, was the thought that some might consider that to be off color. Then you showed up, which made it all OK.

The master at work. Trump underastands relationships and how to fool enemies into acquiescence. He”s like a modern Machiavelli in his handeling of the #nevertrump right and the progressive left. Bannon, is strategizing on how to outflank the opposition. Putting Nikiee Haley at the UN was a brilliant example of the multi layered chess being played by the Trump Administration.

Machiavellian level of strategy?
Secretary of State is way too important a position to give to such a snake as Romney. Who could you put in a position to be able to watch his every move? I think Romney would work against President Trump and the good of America to his own and the globalist’s ends. I do not think Romney would or even could put the best interest of our country ahead of his own personal gains and direction, similar to the way Clinton did. Keep in mind that Romney’s running mate in 2012 is now 3rd in line for POTUS should anything foul happen. Who do you trust? Not either of those two for sure.

I have proposed the UN as a great dumping ground for any knaves and traitors Trump is forced to placate at least for the short term. No one I know has any respect left for that conga line of freaks institution.

Sundance I hope you’re right and I’m gonna try to hang on to your positivity but besides Bannon and Sessions I have been pretty disappointed with the selections so far. I have a feeling that Priebus being in Trump’s ear is having a more deleterious effect on Trump than we thought would happen. We need to drain the swamp and put America first not put GOPe failed retreads, that can’t even stand up to Candy Crowley, in positions of power and influence. Also the NYT meeting was the worst possible idea especially after dominating the media in the Trump Tower meeting. Where are his advisors and why did they not prevent that meeting?

Trump is not yet President, has only been President Elect for two weeks and people are FEELING disappointed? Talk about the definition of fair weather supporters. This is WAR. Trumps right to be sworn in is being challenged by Soros funded drives to steal states through recounts. If that fails and Trump is sworn in he will be fighting against the might of the international globalists who are at this moment trying to undermine Trumps support with his base so they can defeat him and us. Trump is wisely trying to expand his base so he can get things done. WAKE UP. We picked a leader. Let him lead. BTW I absolutely think the meeting with Romney and the notion that he could be SOS which did NOT come from Trump was designed to totally put smirk boy Ryan in his place. Ryan was getting way too cocky. He and his clique were even using #betterway after Trump won. So strategically the uproar over Romney is good as long as it does NOT include Trump. Frankly, the fact that Trump did have that meeting was a huuuge optic coup. Then he iced it when he met with popular Democrat Tulsi Gabbard. It proved Trump is not thin skinned or vindictive and in fact welcomes a diversity of input. This message was targetted to rational Hillary supporters and Congressional Democrats. Trumps Presidential, open minded optics contrasts nicely with the hate and violence of Hillary supporters and far left Congressional Democrats. This should help people accept the results of the Electoral College vote next month. Trump and his team are genius. Rather than back seat drive, enjoy the ride and get more people on the Trump Train. We’re going to need all hands on deck to help Trump.

He took Priebus out of a role the president has no control over and put him in a role he has direct control over. Priebus toes the line or gets fired. He might be forced to help isolate and make irrelevant his own boyhood friend Lyin’ Ryan.

I keep wondering, given Trump’s penchant for loyalty, where Katrina and Corey are? I know that they aren’t cabinet-level people, but they seem to have completely vanished off the scene.

I hope you are all right about the chessboard, because I am hearing grumbling from my friends who voted Trump, about Haley and Mittens. We have a been so burned so many times. I refer them here to read, it’s a lifeline

I am beginning to feel a little bit played on this. It’s an important position and one would think it has been a priority. There must be a very short list. So, make the announcement and move on. Enough is enough.

Yes. Romney is going to apologize to Trump b/c Romney really wants that SecOfState job badly so he can triangulate w/Reince and Paul Ryan who was tweeting about his BetterWay that would be pushed through Congress instead of MAGA.
I’ve been on Twitter and we’ve been pushing the hashtag #NeverRomney w/retweets and this time sending them to @kellyanneConway and @DanScavino as well as @realDonaldJTrump saying even if Romney apologizes its still #NeverRomney b/c its US, the deplorables Romney kicked in the teeth and the base won’t be forget/won’t forgive.
Romney is the snake Trump kept talking about in the story. If you have a twitter account please join in.

Trump’s gonna watch Romney apologize ‘like a dog’, and ‘choke’ on his own words in front of the entire country (world) for all the nasty and vicious personal attacks he made on Trump’s character during the campaign… and THEN PE Trump will appoint Guliani to SoS. It will be a thing to behold.
I love the smell of schadenfreude in the morning… at least when it involves Mittens.
(I’m not normally a vindictive or mean person, but Romney has IMO brought this upon himself through his own unbelievable arrogance and hubris – he shall reap what he has sown)

the turkey is cooked, cooked of and on his own accord, it is impossible to Un-cook a cooked turkey.
How is that for code? 🙂
I just don’t see how appointing this cooked bird is going to help …or be a positive smell. just don’t see it.

You don’t need to see it. However those of us that do are in total awe of Trumps pure genius. Trump did tell us all not to believe anything unless we heard it from him. He has said NOTHING about Romney being considered for ANY position. So why be concerned? However the #neverromney campaign is brilliant. It should be a serious wake up call to Ryan and his GOPe neocon globalist cabal that we REJECT THEM.

I thought it was simply trolling — which is essentially what this more elaborate scheme is. But no matter what — it’s good the see the people throwing a fit about it, means they are engaged and willing to talk back, and that is the most important thing of all.

Took Them a While: Liberal FOX commentator Julie somebody-or-other says “I think this is just Trump leaving Romney out there to die the death of a thousand cuts. Float his name and let everybody rip him, and then tell him no job.” (Paraphrasing) She, of course, says she is hoping for Romney to be SOS because she hates Guliani.

Hello everyone. It is really good to have a place to go and vent with other people who think as I think. With that, here are my thoughts about Mitt Romney.

Mitt Romney has two huge character issues which should disqualify him from consideration for Secretary of State.

The first is that he chokes, as Candidate Trump correctly pointed out during the campaign.
Think of Romney’s collapse in the third debate with President Obama in 2012, then switch contexts and imagine him choking in the middle of a confrontation involving the Middle East, when many of our lives just might be at risk. To quote Candidate Trump: “Once a choker, always a choker.”

The second is that he quits. Shortly before the end of the end of the 2012 presidential campaign, Mitt Romney simply stopped campaigning, and allowed what should have been a win to turn into a huge loss. Once again, place him in the middle of a difficult situation (think of the Paris peace talks with North Vietnam in the early 1970’s) and imagine him simply giving up. accepting a bad deal, and pushing President Trump to accept that same bad deal.

Mitt Romney should not be Secretary of State. If President-elect Trump sees a need to appoint him to a high office, then let Romney be considered for Secretary of the Treasury; by all accounts Romney is a gifted bean counter.

This is for Donald Trump’s attention.
You can’t be thinking seriously of choosing Mitt Romney for Secretary of State. If you do,
that will be the biggest mistake you made in your life. Do you really want a Mormon in your
Cabinet? Did you know Mormonism is a devil cult that prays to Lucifer? How could you lower
yourself to hire a person that prays to the Devil? Stay away from the Mormon devil cult religion.
Those that joined it tried to get out and they were threatened, harassed and made their lives a
living hell. Don’t have anything to do with this evil devil cult religion. I pray you will think seriously what you’re getting into if you hire this evil devil worshiper Mitt Romney.